6 days and counting!

We are getting so close to the wedding weekend! 

Just a reminder: Please be sure to bring some LAYERS! They are calling for possible rain, and we have prepared for that possibility, but we don't want you to be chilly! The weather in Northern Michigan changes often, so….

http://www.wunderground.com/weather-forecast/US/MI/Arcadia.html

Some things to consider

-Rain coat: might get a wee bit rainy on Saturday! Its good luck at a wedding, RIGHT?

-Booze: if you would like not make drinks/cocktails in your cottage, please feel free to bring booze:) Watervale is licensed for beer and wine only, so if you want it, BRING IT! 

-Snacks: You might get a bit hungry on Saturday or Sunday afternoon, so please feel free to bring some snacking items if you get peckish! We have also provided a list of lunch places for your convenience. 

-Hair dryer: We will bring extra ones to put in the cottages/hotel but of course, if you need one, and have one you can bring, that would be great! 

- DANCING SHOES: Rain or Shine we are gonna BOOGIE! The DJ's are hard at work making a master list of the good stuff! 

Cant wait to see you there! 

XxX

Accommodation at Watervale (CASH or CHECK only!)

One thing about Watervale….

The Cottages and rooms at the Inn are quaint, and well appointed. 
If you RSVP'ed you have already been placed in a lovely room. 
You do not need to make a reservation of any sort! We have taken care of that for you!
Now, all you have to do is show up, relax, and enjoy beautiful Northern Michigan! 
(weather permitting;) 

**Please note**

Watervale DOES NOT ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS! 
Please be sure to bring cash or check! 
Rooms are  set at a flat rate of $55.00 per night/per person and includes a local sourced breakfast at the Inn Saturday and Sunday mornings. 

** If you are staying more than 2 nights, please let Amanda or Paul know and we will arrange with Watervale Staff for you to stay an extra night**

The last meal provided by Watervale is Sunday breakfast, but those of us who are staying an extra night can potluck or snack dinner together;) 

Schedule of Events (A loose idea of the flow for the weekend;)

Wedding Schedule: Watervale 2014

Friday:

Arrivals: All Day!(Please go directly to the Inn, and find your Room Assignment Card)

3:30pm – 5:30pm Cocktails at Margaret (meet and greet)

5:30 pm -Rehearsal (Bridal Party):– Meet on the steps of the Inn @ 5:20

5:30 pm – 8:00pm BBQ Dinner backyard behind the Inn: (MC's Jillian & Rachel Toasts/Roasts)

8:00 pm – Beach Bonfire: Stay out til whenever you like!  **Special event @ 9:30pm**

Saturday:

8:00 – 9:30am Breakfast at the Inn:

10:00 am (takes 1.5 – 2 hours) Group Hike to Baldy: Run down the Dunes into Lake Michigan!

Activities for Fun:

Tennis Tournie

Shuffle board tournie

Kayaks

Canoes

Swim in the Little Lake/Big lake

Trip to Gwen Frostic- Handmade Letter Press

RELAX!!

Places for Lunch: A few Suggestions

** you can also bring items for lunch, each cottage has a kitchen**

Storm Cloud, Frankfort

Dingy’s, Frankfort

Mayfair, Elberta

The Lighthouse, Elberta (breakfast and lunch)

Cold Creek Inn and Deli, Beulah

The Cherry Hut in Beulah

Cru Cellars

Crescent Bakery (breakfast and lunch)

Coho Café

Stormcloud Brewery

4:15 pm- Photography (Bridal Parties, Parents and Grandmother(s))

4:30 (ish) – Guests are invited to gather for cocktail punch at Ursula

4:50- seating on Terrace for the Ceremony (M.C. Jonathan Monken)

5:00- Wedding Ceremony (Officiant: Tom Mawhinney)

5:30 (ish) – CELEBRATION TIME!  Champagne and hors d'oeuvres

                      (Photography part II: extended Family))

6:30- Dinner (Outside, weather permitting)

8:00 – 12:00 – Reception in the Old Casino

After party (Party Cottage TBD;)

Sunday:

8:00 – 9:30am: Breakfast at the Inn

Departures

More than anything, your presence is the best gift!

Your presence at our wedding is the most special gift to us! 

We are thrilled to share our special day with you. 

If you are compelled by extreme generosity, a registry has been set up for your convenience at:

MyRegistry.com

http://www.myregistry.com/public/Amanda-Small-Paul-Mathew

                    

Here you will see a list of a few goodies we are craving to add to our home together;)

We are also interested in some remodeling of a few spaces in our home, so if that is something you like the sounds of,
we also have set up a "Home remodel" fund for cash donations.

  if you would like to "donate" to our house fund, we will GLADLY put Big Papa and Co. to work, finishing up some improvements to our house in Toronto! (not sure HE knows about that yet….)

           

Thank you in advance for sharing in our wedding weekend, our celebration and in our nesting! 

Map of Watervale

A special hand drawn map of WATERVALE Resort

The cottages and the Inn line the smaller Herring Lake, and a short walk over the Dunes and you are at the big lake, Michigan. This map includes the cottages, the Inn, the Casino, and pathways between. We will be having the Wedding Ceremony (weather permitting) on the Terrace over looking Lake Herring, with the Reception at the Old Casino.

Maps and Things: There and Away...

Watervale Inn

1244 Watervale Rd

Arcadia, MI 49613

http://www.watervaleinn.com

A GPS or Navi might not work to get to Watervale Inn! 

We know you have to drive no matter how you travel, so we hope to make it as painless as possible! Here are some maps from nearby cities that might help! (Recommended to print them out;) 

From Grand Rapids

From Traverse City

         

From Toronto:

From Toronto, take Hwy 401 W to merge onto HWY-402 W via EXIT 183 toward Sarnia (Portions toll) (Crossing into Michigan, United States). Then….

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?2pn=Watervale+Inn&2a=1244+Watervale+Rd&2c=Arcadia&2s=MI&2z=49613#b5e4b029e1a002cabbd7d3ea

Getting There!

Getting There

Flying:

Guests may fly into Chicago, O'hare or Midway, Grand Rapids, MI or Traverse City, MI Airports. Southwest airlines has hubs in both Chicago and Grand Rapids. There is driving time associated no matter where you fly in! Its possible to carpool/rent cars with people you know, and we are happy to help coordinate people coming from overseas! 

Driving times:

From Chicago is approximately 5 hours.

From Toronto is approximately 7.5 hours

From Grand Rapids is approximately 2.5 hours

from Traverse City, MI is approximately 1 hour

RIDE SHARING! 

We are looking for ride shares for people flying in to:

Grand Rapids

Chicago

We are also looking for ride shares from Toronto! 

Please email: hularoo@gmail.com  (US/abroad)

contactingpaul@gmail.com (Toronto)

if you need a ride, or want to share with someone just shoot us a mail, and we will get you connected! 

DETAILED DIRECTIONS CAN BE FOUND AT THE WEDDING WEBSITE: 

http://amandapaulforever.wix.com/watervale2014#!accommodation/cj4u

We will also be posting a driving map here at the blog! 

What to BRING with you!

Watervale Weekend

you might be wondering: Northern Michigan in September? 

What do I need to have  with me at these cottages?

What to Bring 

Clothing:

Average temperatures in Michigan in September are typically in the 70's during the day and a chilly 50's in the night . Watervale is surrounded by 2 lakes and includes a tennis court, volley ball, beaches, and beautiful hiking in the woods and to the sand dunes. 

We highly recommend you bring a swimsuit and sweaters/jackets. 

Gear:

Flashlights,  sunscreen, sunglasses, hiking shoes, music (player), snacks/drinks for your cabin (if you like!) Cottages at Watervale do not have irons or hairdryers so if you need 'em, bring 'em!  (We will have SOME extras on hand….)

**Some people are driving, so you may want to also consider: beach towels/chair, cooler, etc. 

Row boats, kayaks and canoes are all for rent to use on Lower Herring Lake and if the sun is shining, we will be taking a group hike to "Baldy" to run down the sand dunes into the lake! 

                                                                          Cottages:

Each cottage and the rooms at the Inn  are charming and  rustic. You will be sharing a bathroom, so Please remember to plan accordingly with your personal items;) We will be providing Dinner Friday and Saturday nights and breakfast is included Saturday and Sunday mornings, but all other meals are on ON YOUR OWN! Please bring snacks, beer/wine, sodas, lunch fixings with you, or prepare to venture into town for your lunch needs! We will provide a full list of places to go for those of you who want to go out for lunches! 

Welcome to Watervale...

If you are reading this, it means we are PRETTY sure you are coming to celebrate us getting hitched! 

We are so thrilled that you can make it and we want to make sure you have a GREAT time, so we are putting together this little blog to keep people up to date with info about the wedding. 

Stay tuned for all kinds of information regarding: Housing info (we got you covered!), What to Bring, Ride-Sharing, Event Schedule and how to get to Watervale for the weekend….This is a platform where you can comment and let us know YOUR QUESTIONS directly. We very much want to support everyone coming all the way to Michigan to celebrate with us, so please feel free to comment as needed;) 

Its a beautiful place with a lot of history for the Small Family Clan, and we can't wait for a fantastic celebration with all our favorite people!